In June of this year I celebrated 5 years of owning my business. I can’t believe it’s been that long; when I look back, it’s insane to think about how much the business has evolved, more so, how much I’ve evolved.

I’ve wanted to quit a dozen times over, yet here I stand. It has been so worth it, running a business has challenged me to my core and with a lot of lessons learned along the way.

I thought it would be helpful to look back and share some insights with you.

Always listen to your intuition

I found out the hard way that no matter what they say out there - the blogs, the webinars, the magazines, the numbers… none of it really matters when you compare it to your gut instincts. I am not discounting the fact that there are many who offer valuable information which I have used successfully to build and grow my business. However, ultimately, it is my business and listening to my instincts has proven to always be a good indicator of what I should do next.

As you evolve, so does your business

Life is an endless journey of discovery and continuous learning. As I evolve on a personal level, my business shifts and morphs as I do. I believe that the deep work we do on ourselves is ultimately in great service to our business, our clients, and clears the way for success. At times, the opposite would occur whereby the business itself would force me to grow as a person. Being a business owner can be spiritual and deeply transformational. As you evolve, so does your business.

It is enough to be exactly who you are in the moment, showing up 100% for your life and your business, while celebrating that you are on the way to becoming more. Being your true, authentic self at every opportunity helps you become a better entrepreneur, leader, and human.

Never Give Up

A huge part of ‘sticking around’ is perseverance and believing in yourself. Keeping your ego in check is at times tough; you have to be able to accept some criticism, continually redefine your goals as you grow with your business, while staying open-minded and confident. Oh yes, there have been plenty of off days, but I’m a true believer that state of mind is everything. It’s absolutely normal to allow yourself some down moments and hopefully grow from them, but at the end of the day, you must remember to focus on what you’re doing right. Small progress, is still progress! Winston S. Churchill said it best ‘Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.'

Redefine Success

Success Takes Time. This is one I’ve had to adopt quickly and remind myself of constantly, especially when comparing myself to my competition and what they were achieving. You can sometimes get trapped in feeling like these are the benchmarks you are supposed to hit as a business. There were so many days I felt like I am going to lose my mind, or that I had absolutely no clue what I’m doing. Then there were days where I felt like a total failure! I’ve had to redefine what success meant to me and not by society’s standards.

A quote by John Acuff helped me change my perception - “Don't compare your beginning to someone else's middle.” It reminded me to take my time instead of trying to keep up with everything I supposedly should be doing. You can get so consumed in worrying that other people may perceive as you failing, but I now believe that success is a mindset which then drives the decisions we make and the actions we take.

“Success is a journey, not a destination.”

I would love to hear about some of the things you’ve learned since you started your business. Feel free to comment below or share on my Facebook page: ﻿www.facebook.com/contactannagioia﻿